Tatmadaw

Tatmadaw is the military organization of Burma, with 492,000 soldiers in the army today. They have been responsible for the quelling of Karen and the Burma Communist Party rebellions from 1948 to 1988, and remain vigilant in the internal conflict in Burma today. The Tatmadaw suffered through a crisis in 2007 when Than Shwe's political repression resulted in the Saffron Revolution.

History
The Tatmadaw were founded in the aftermath of the United Kingdom giving Burma independence in 1948, trained in counter-insurgency and civil warfare. That same year, an internal conflict began as Karen insurgent groups and communists began uprisings in the country. In addition, they faced Mujahideen, the National Democratic Alliance Army (since the 1980s), Kachin independence movements, and some rebel elements of the Republic of China. The Tatmadaw were supported by the People's Republic of China in their war with the rebels, but they were accused of many war crimes such as the suppression of diplomacy, political movements, ethnic groups, and human rights. These abuses led to a 2007 crisis in the Saffron Revolution, with Than Shwe's dictatorship being challenged.